Track-sander for locomotives.



l J. E. GANsoN.

v TRACK SANDER FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLIGATION FILED APE..3, 1909.

Patented Sept. 14,1909.

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UNITE JAMES E. GANSON, OF COLUINBUS, OHIO. I

TRACK-SANDER FOR LOCOIVIOTIVES.

Speec'aton of Letters Patent.

Patenten sept. 14, reca.

Application tiled April 3, 1909. Serial No. 487,645.

To all .whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. GANSON, a citizen of the Ilnited States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-.Sanders for Locomotives, of which the following` is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of track sanders for locomotives, and the objects of my invention are to provide a locomotive with an improved construction of track sanding device wherein simple and positive means are provided for insuring a desirable discharge of sand from the box to the track rails; to provide improved means for preventing the packing of the sand upon the outlet valves; to combine with a hand operated sand discharging mechanism, means for automatically creatinga discharge of sand from the outlet pipes to the track rails and to produce other improvements the details of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view on different planes as indicated by line of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the sand box, showing my iinprovements therein, and. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of line y/-y of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents th-e usual form of sand box or sand reservoir, which is carried in the usual manner by a locomotive and which is provided with the usual central conical projec tion 1a in its bottom. The floor or bottom of the sand box, is provided on its underside on each side of its center with a down` ward extension 2, through which is formed the usual sand outlet passage 3, the latter having connected with its lower end portion an outwardly inclined discharge pipe 4, which leads through the outer wall of the base portion of the box 1 and through which the sand passes to the track rails. This pipe '-1 is formed in sections, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, and the sections are connected by a T-coupling 5 into which projects a hori- Zontal nipple 6, the hollow of which communicates with the interior of the T-coupling, through the medium of a small vertical port 7, as shown. The nipple 6 is at its l providing the air pipes 14, which outer end connected with an air supply pipe 8.

' Adjacent to the outlet opening of the passage 3, I pivot as indicated at 9 one end of a valve plate 10, which valve plate is normally adapted to extend over the end of the passa-ge 3. Immediately above the upper end of the passage 3 and communicating therewith is formed in the underside of said valve plate, a transverse recess 11, which opens through one edge of the valve plate and extends to a point near the opposite edge thereof. Rising from about each of the valve plates 10, but arranged in such positions as not to interfere with the swinging movement of said plate, are standards 12. Upon each set of these standards, is supported a horizontal shieldor baffle plate 13, the latter thus being arranged at a suitable distance above the valves.

14 represents air pipes which lead outward through the sand box or reservoir to the atmosphere, through pipe arms 14a. One of these pipes 141 leads to a point adjacent to each of the valves 10 and opposite the open end of the valve recess 11.

lith each of the valve pivot pins 9 is rigidly connected a laterally extending operating arm 15, the ends of these operating arms being pivotally connected with the ends of a connecting bar 1G. At the junction of one of the arms 15 and the pivot pin 9, I provide an outwardly extending lever arm 17 which extending laterally outward, has pivotally connected therewith, an operating lever bar 18 which leads to and is operated by hand from the locomotive cab in the usual manner.

In operation, it will be understood, that when air from a source of compressed air supply carried by a train, is discharged through the port 7 of the nipple 6, a suction will be produced in the discharge pipe sections 4 and passages 3, which will result in drawing sand from the sand box through the valve recesses 11 and downward through said passages 3 and pipes fl. It is obvious, however, that the suction thus produced in the outlet passages and pipes, will result in a tendency toward the formation of a vacuum or partial vacuum therein, thereby necessitating a supply of air from the box to the passages 3 to produce the desired travel ing movement of the sand through the discharge pipes. This difficulty I overcome by lead to the atmosphere and through which air is supplied and drawn to the mouths of the passages 3 with the sand. By this operation, it will readily be understood that a supply of sand will be rapidly and continuously forced downward through the passages 3 and pipes I to the track rails. In case, however, the sand owing to its condition or the mixture of foreign matter therewith, should not How with suiiicient rapidity or freedom through the discharge passages and pipes, it is obvious that I may open the passages 3 by moving the hand operated lever 18 in the direction indicated by the arrow, which through the connections described will result in the swinging ,of the valves 10 away from the discharge openings, thus permitting free access of the sand to said openings.

It is well known that the packing of the sand, or the weight thereof directly upon the valves 10, has a tendency to interfere with the operation of said valves and to overcome this tendency, I have provided the shield or baffle plates 13 above said valves, which will operate to receive the direct weight of the sand and at the same time permit the sand to flow beneath the edges of said plates at desirable angles. 'It will thus be seen that in addition to the automatic means provided for the discharge of sand from the box, I have provided the usual hand operated sand releasing mechanism, which will serve as a safe guard againstthe failure of the proper operation of the automatic discharging means.y v

What I claim, is:

l. In a track sanding device, the combination with a locomotive sand box having discharge openings and outlet pipes leading therefrom, valves pivoted adjacent to and i normally closing said discharge openings, and means for operating said valves, of fixed baiile plates supported above said valves and pipes communicating with the atmosphere and terminating adjacentV said discharge openings.

2. In a track sanding device, the combination with a locomotive sand box having outlet passages and discharge pipes connected therewitlnand an air pipe from a source of compressed airleading into each of said discharge pipes and having a discharge opening, of pivoted valves adapted to cover Vthe sand box discharge openings, each of said valves having an underside recess extending through one side thereof, and air supply pipes leading to points within close proximity to said valve recesses, and means for operating said valves by hand.

8. In a track sanding device, the combination with a locomotive sand box having discharge passages and discharge pipes connected therewith, air discharge members leading into said discharge'pipes and valves pivoted adjacent to said sand box discharge openi ings, said valves` each having an underside J 

